Americans would riot if restaurants raised the prices to offset the loss of tipping.

There are a few tip free restaurants around, it’s sort of rare. Tipping at basically every random shop is out of control nowadays tho.

That said, I feel like sometimes this is pushed with those tablets with tipping options that present 20% 30% and 35%. Especially in situations where you self serve by going up to the clerk, as a non american it feels like I'm being scammed by a tourist trap, I might press 30% out of feeling that it's customary, but then an American might know the actual rules and either tip 15%, or not tip at all since it isn't customary to tip for self service.

Our federal administration recently decreed no tax on overtime, no tax on tips. This is a judicious move; although it unfortunately enshrines tipping even more firmly, it gives relief to the rank-and-file worker.

Generally, employees raking in cash tips always faced a tax-time dilemma: record and report all my tips from my job, and be taxed on them? Or just let it all slide under the table. Surely, nearly everyone does it. So, "no tax on tips" simply encourages you to report them without being docked for it.

Tipping culture is business-friendly. It gives business the opportunity to hire more workers for more hours, and simply offload the wages onto the customers. End-stage capitalism's finest hour.

As I mentioned earlier, tips in advance for services like food delivery? Those are bribes, not tips. They're also wages, but they're also bribes. It's fairly disgusting. I hate tipping. But I hate stiffing workers, and I personally enjoy a reputation as someone who cares about tipping people for services provided.

Today, that same meal is $35 - $40, so not only does the tip have to increase, but also people are eating out less. Lately it seems restaurants are closing left and right. Restuarant tipping is probably really on the decline.

What's sort of come up in its place over the past few decades is the payment system asking you for a tip before you even get your food. I think there is some sort of a backlash against that, as well as tipping in non-food places. I'm seeing more and more Instagram posts about it.

You misunderstand.

There is tipping in restaurants, and then tipping in other places where it's much more traditional to not tip.

While some people don't like restaurant tipping, it's generally the other type of tipping the ruffles feathers. But in those cases, you don't have to tip.

> But tipping is optional

Again, you don't understand. No, tipping is not always optional. It's known and part of the bill in certain circumstances and this is known ahead of time.

> If you don't tip you both help society improve

I don't know, having been to European and American restaurants, I find the American restaurants to be far better at service. Couple that with free refills and other amenities (like again... actually good service), I wouldn't see it as better.